District Man Sentenced to 15-Year Prison Term
For Shooting Three People in Dispute at Cook-Out- Shooting Took Place in Broad Daylight, With Children Nearby -

WASHINGTON - Antonio Nero, 32, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to a 15-year prison term on charges stemming from a shooting last year in which three people were wounded, U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen Jr. announced.

Nero was convicted by a jury in May 2011 of charges of assault with a dangerous weapon, mayhem while armed, aggravated assault while armed, assault with significant bodily injury, and various firearms offenses. He was sentenced on December 19, 2011, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, by the Honorable William M. Jackson.

According to the government’s evidence at trial, during the afternoon of April 18, 2010, Nero and his family were having a cookout in the 1100 block of Morse Street NE to celebrate a young family member’s birthday. Nero was at the party, along with several family members and numerous friends. During the cookout, three men arrived in a nearby alley, including two who were there to engage in a narcotics sale with one of Nero’s friends. The third man drove the other two to the alley and was not a participant in the drug deal.

During the course of the drug transaction, a dispute arose and Nero appeared in the alley with a handgun. He shot one of the victims next to a car, then chased the second victim as he ran down the alley and shot him after he fell to the ground. Finally, Nero shot the third victim as he tried to flee in his car. Nero then ran through the home, out the front door, and away from the scene, leaving his family to speak to the police about the events that occurred. More than 50 people were attending the cookout, and the shooting took place in broad daylight and in close proximity to where several children were playing in the alley. As a result of Nero’s reckless conduct, one the victims was paralyzed beneath the middle of his chest.

In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Machen commended those who worked on the case for the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), including Detectives Jamelle Stallings, John Hamer, and Dwayne Jackson, along with several officers of the Fifth District. He also acknowledged the work of Paralegal Kalisha Johnson-Clark, Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Clark, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mary Chris Dobbie, who investigated the case, and James E. Smith, who investigated the case and prosecuted it at trial.